The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-06-13
"IRICKS or TaR TRADES. "
HOW PEPPER Is AOULTERATHD
WITH COMMON GINGER
And Other Thinss that Are Cheap
and Easily Acsessible-An
Outrage on Consumers.
IsrKdAL TO TIE ArrHAL.i,

udttOh auoub tuo ehiCAb VI auultCIR
ton without an explanation of the
easy tricks Of the pepper trade.
Notwithstanding that science has
greatly aided the adulteIaiion Of food
products, as q general thing this evil
Is not carried on to the extent it was
some ten or twenty years ago. 6trin-
gent DISQUALIFICATION laws have been
passed in some Of our States and in
several European countries; but while
these have decreased the frauds, In
many cases the real cause OF reduced
adulteration has been the decrease in
the cost OF the article adulterated,
thus rendering the business no longer
profitable.
That there are many articles adul.
terated now is we'll known to those
who understand "the tricks Of the
trade" The most aduliefatGd ar.
ticle Of food is spices. This is the
Gaze now, as IL hes b5en always.
When the governments Of this coun.
try and Great Britain raised portion
OF their revenue by taxing spices OF all
kinds, but principally pepper, the
temptation to adulterate wgs very
strong, and resulted In widespIo ID
fraudulent practice. Pepper being IL Q
spice most popular in demand, re-
ceived the greatest attention from
these manipulators, and fifteen years
ago IL would have been next to i'm.
possible to purchase the pure article
in auy grocery store. There was not a
single wholesale grocery house which
quoted pure pepper on its price list.
But the variations of price were great,
some being quoted at less than mar
ket price, indicating fraud on the
very fee of it. The Sdulteration WIS
then done in clumsy manner and
with impunity. Rice fur was the
greatest adulterant used, but the
lowest grades were freely mixed
with common -four of al
descriptions, and even with corn
meal Rice q ,ur was principally used
to sdulterate white pepper, because it
WAS easy to detect the other and
cheaper substitute. In black pepper
detection to ordinary buyers was more
difficult, aud all kinds OF Trash, which
would in aoy way mix with 1t, were
used. The profit to the manufacturer
YVES enormous. Msny times he melted
100 per cent. upon thisadmix!ure, and
in some cases heeAsed his console CO
by the plea that, while 1t was sdulter-
alton, and, thereforeya kind OF fraud,
the substitutes we're har mlesa and con-
sequsntly the health OF the people did
not suffer.
When the duty was taken of spices
In 1884, the price OF pepper was
much reduced, and at the same time
an adulteration act was passed in sew
eral States. The duty was taken off
pepper in the United Kingdom ten
years before that time, and in 1870
white pepper was sold at IL and Is
cents pould, black being about half
81 ut price.
Low prices and q decrease in the
adulteranon greatly incr, ased the
consumption OF pepper in Great Brit.
ain, the nateaal adu teration act be.
ing passed in that coun ry Ten years
prior to any State adopting it here.
SINGS 1881 the production OF pepper
has been gradually decreasing, and
the volcanic disturbances which ok
D ace Ia Java and In the Strait settle
ments 1888. destroyed many paper
plantations aud spread general disas-
ter through the pepper producing re-
gions OF the East Since then the
price of pepper has nearly dou led In
consequences Of the short supply and
manipulation by London capitalists.
The market price of pepper is now
as high az 1t was with the duty, there.
fore the adulteiation business is AGAIN
In q flourishing condition. TODAY
1t Is carried on With more slyness and
tact than formerly, and while pepper
for table use may DO Rdultsrated 10
the extent OF 90 per cent. the spice
may be cold as pure pepper. This
may appear stranga to the uninitiated
but it Is easily exp aimed, for there are
several kinds OF ptpper. That usually
sold for table use 10 the one known Ia
commerce as black pepper and white
pepper, both the same article,
only the white has undergone pro
cess Of bleaching. rhe market pro a
OF these are IA to 15i cents and.23 to
~ cents respe ctively. There is an.
other kind OF pepper known to com
merce as long pepper, which Is worth
about IL cents. This 10 not by any
means 30 rich In pepperine, the active
element Of pepper, IL containing only
Ito per csnt. against 8 Sc and G pei
cent. 10 good Singapore black or Vote
pepper. This long pepper Is used to
considerable extent In mixing with
both black aud white. la some cases
80 per cant is used. This enables the
seller to guarantee 1t as pure pepper
whereas 1t has hardly more than Q
third the actual strength OF the genu
inc article. While this practice is al
most universal in this country, there
has never been case brought before
the public by those who have the
a1ulteratlon of food under their care
and it is we'll known that even those
houses which boast OF selling pure
spices are guilty to come extent OF the
trick, A recent decision mas beer
made In Great Britain which now rem
dera all dealers liable TO a foe who
cell any Kind OF pepper which has
been reduced by the addition Of
cheaper grades.
Another trick is to grind common
ginger and mix 1t with pepper. This
reduces the strength Of the pepper
considerably, and to overcome THU
d fhculty there Is an addition o.
ground chillies, or what Is commonly
known as red pepper, put In. r d
pepper Is very strong aud produces 9
burning sensation, and while the com
monest kind Of black pepper is worth
Is cents on the market, good chillie:
for grinding purposes can be bought
for 8 to 81 cents, The differences IL
price Is quite an item aud little goe.
long way. II the consumer get
very strong pepper which burns the
palate 1t Is safe to say that 1t 10 greatly
Adulterated by the addition, first, I
some cheap article devoid OF pepper
Inc, and then burned mp, a. It were
with cheap red pepper.
Recently there has appeared sn
other adulterRnt which has beer
named poivrette, which Is nothipI
else than ground olive stones. 1t i
worth about half cent a pound IL
Italy and can be delivered here a
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